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NASA NTRS2000

The New Millenium Program: Serving Earth and Space Sciences

NASA has exciting plans for space science and Earth observations during the next decade. A broad range of advanced spacecraft and measurement technologies will be needed to support these plans within the existing budget and schedule constraints. Many of these technology needs are common to both NASA's Office of Earth Science (OES) and Office of Space Sciences (OSS). Even though some breakthrough technologies have been identified to address these needs, project managers have traditionally been reluctant to incorporate them into flight programs because their inherent development risk. To accelerate the infusion of new technologies into its OES and OSS missions, NASA established the New Millennium Program (NMP). This program analyzes the capability needs of these enterprises, identifies candidate technologies to address these needs, incorporates advanced technology suites into validation flights, validates them in the relevant space environment, and then proactively infuses the validated technologies into future missions to enhance their capabilities while reducing their life cycle cost. The NMP employs a cross-enterprise Science Working Group, the NASA Enterprise science and technology roadmaps to define the capabilities needed by future Earth and Space science missions. Additional input from the science community is gathered through open workshops and peer-reviewed NASA Research Announcement (NRAs) for advanced measurement concepts. Technology development inputs from the technology organizations within NASA, other government agencies, federally funded research and development centers (FFRDC's), U.S. industry, and academia are sought to identify breakthrough technologies that might address these needs. This approach significantly extends NASA's technology infrastructure. To complement other flight test programs that develop or validate of individual components, the NMP places its highest priority on system-level validations of technology suites in the relevant space environment. This approach is not needed for all technologies, but it is usually essential to validate advanced system architectures or new measurement concepts. The NMP has recently revised its processes for defining candidate validation flights, and selecting technologies for these flights. The NMP now employs integrated project formulation teams, 'Which include scientists, technologists, and mission planners, to incorporate technology suites into candidate validation flights. These teams develop competing concepts, which can be rigorously evaluated prior to selection for flight. The technology providers for each concept are selected through an open, competitive, process during the project formulation phase. If their concept is selected for flight, they are incorporated into the Project Implementation Team, which develops, integrates, tests, launches, and operates the technology validation flight. Throughout the project implementation phase, the Implementation Team will document and disseminate their validation results to facilitate the infusion of their validated technologies into future OSS and OES science missions. The NMP has successfully launched its first two Deep Space flights for the OSS, and is currently implementing its first two Earth Orbiting flights for the OES. The next OSS and OES flights are currently being defined. Even though these flights are focused on specific Space Science and Earth Science themes, they are designed to validate a range of technologies that could benefit both enterprises, including advanced propulsion, communications, autonomous operations and navigation, multifunctional structures, microelectronics, and advanced instruments. Specific examples of these technologies will be provided in our presentation. The processes developed by the NMP also provide benefits across the Space and Earth Science enterprises. In particular, the extensive, nation-wide technology infrastructure developed by the NMP enhances the access to breakthrough technologies for both enterprises.

Li, Fuk K.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The NT digital micro tape recorder

The description of an audio recorder may at first glance seem out of place in a conference which has been dedicated to the discussion of the technology and requirements of mass data storage. However, there are several advanced features of the NT system which will be of interest to the mass storage technologist. Moreover, there are a sufficient number of data storage formats in current use which have evolved from their audio counterparts to recommend a close attention to major innovative introductions of audio storage formats. While the existing analog micro-cassette recorder has been (and will continue to be) adequate for various uses, there are significant benefits to be gained through the application of digital technology. The elimination of background tape hiss and the availability of two relatively wide band channels (for stereo recording), for example, would greatly enhance listenability and speech intelligibility. And with the use of advanced high-density recording and LSI circuit technologies, a digital micro recorder can realize unprecedented compactness with excellent energy efficiency. This is what was accomplished with the NT-1 Digital Micro Recorder. Its remarkably compact size contributes to its portability. The high-density NT format enables up to two hours of low-noise digital stereo recording on a cassette the size of a postage stamp. Its highly energy-efficient mechanical and electrical design results in low power consumption; the unit can be operated up to 7 hours (for continuous recording) on a single AA alkaline battery. Advanced user conveniences include a multifunction LCD readout. The unit's compactness and energy-efficiency, in particular, are attributes that cannot be matched by existing analog and digital audio formats. The size, performance, and features of the NT format are of benefit primarily to those who desire improved portability and audio quality in a personal memo product. The NT Recorder is the result of over ten years of intensive, multi-disciplinary research and development. What follows is a discussion of the technologies that have made the NT possible: (1) NT format mechanics, (2) NT media, (3) NT circuitry and board.

Sasaki, Toshikazu↗
NASA NTRS2005

Magnetically Attached Multifunction Maintenance Rover

A versatile mobile telerobot, denoted the magnetically attached multifunction maintenance rover (MAGMER), has been proposed for use in the inspection and maintenance of the surfaces of ships, tanks containing petrochemicals, and other large ferromagnetic structures. As its name suggests, this robot would utilize magnetic attraction to adhere to a structure. As it moved along the surface of the structure, the MAGMER would perform tasks that could include close-up visual inspection by use of video cameras, various sensors, and/or removal of paint by water-jet blasting, laser heating, or induction heating. The water-jet nozzles would be mounted coaxially within compressed-air-powered venturi nozzles that would collect the paint debris dislodged by the jets. The MAGMER would be deployed, powered, and controlled from a truck, to which it would be connected by hoses for water, compressed air, and collection of debris and by cables for electric power and communication (see Figure 1). The operation of the MAGMER on a typical large structure would necessitate the use of long cables and hoses, which can be heavy. To reduce the load of the hoses and cables on the MAGMER and thereby ensure its ability to adhere to vertical and overhanging surfaces, the hoses and cables would be paid out through telescopic booms that would be parts of a MAGMER support system. The MAGMER would move by use of four motorized, steerable wheels, each of which would be mounted in an assembly that would include permanent magnets and four pole pieces (see Figure 2). The wheels would protrude from between the pole pieces by only about 3 mm, so that the gap between the pole pieces and the ferromagnetic surface would be just large enough to permit motion along the surface but not so large as to reduce the magnetic attraction excessively. In addition to the wheel assemblies, the MAGMER would include magnetic adherence enhancement fixtures, which would comprise arrays of permanent magnets and pole pieces that could be adjusted to maximize or minimize the overall attractive magnetic force. Even with a paint thickness of 2 mm, a preliminary design provides a safety factor of 5 in the magnetic force in the upside- down, water-jets-operating condition, in which the total load (including the weight of the MAGMER and cables and the water-jet force) would be about 260 lb (the weight of 118 kg). Optionally, the MAGMER could carry magnetic shielding and/or could be equipped with a demagnetizing module to remove residual magnetism from the structure. The MAGMER would carry four charge-coupled-device cameras for visual inspection, monitoring of operation, navigation, and avoidance of collisions with obstacles. The control system of the MAGMER would include navigation and collision-avoidance subsystems that would utilize surface features as landmarks, in addition to direct images of obstacles.

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph↗
NASA NTRS1999

Thermal and Mechanical Microspacecraft Technologies for Deep Space Systems Program X2000 Future Deliveries

Thermal and mechanical technologies are an important part of the Deep Space Systems Technology (DSST) Program X2000 Future Deliveries (FD) microspacecraft. A wide range of future space missions are expected to utilize the technologies and the architecture developed by DSST FD. These technologies, besides being small in physical size, make the tiny spacecraft robust and flexible. The DSST FD architecture is designed to be highly reliable and suitable for a wide range of missions such as planetary landers/orbiters/flybys, earth orbiters, cometary flybys/landers/sample returns, etc. Two of the key ideas used in the development of thermal and mechanical technologies and architectures are: 1) to include several of the thermal and mechanical functions in any given single spacecraft element and 2) the architecture be modular so that it can easily be adapted to any of the future missions. One of the thermal architectures being explored for the DSST FD microspacecraft is the integrated thermal energy management of the complete spacecraft using a fluid loop. The robustness and the simplicity of the loop and the flexibility with which it can be integrated in the spacecraft have made it attractive for applications to DSST FD. Some of the thermal technologies to be developed as a part of this architecture are passive and active cooling loops, electrically variable emittance surfaces, miniature thermal switches, and specific high density electronic cooling technologies. In the mechanical area, multifunction architecture for the structural elements will be developed. The multifunction aspect is expected to substantially reduce the mass and volume of the spacecraft. Some of the technologies that will be developed are composite material panels incorporating electronics, cabling, and thermal elements in them. The paper describes the current state of the technologies and progress to be made in the thermal and mechanical technologies and approaches for the DSST Future Deliveries microspacecraft.

Birur, Gajanana C.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Validity of the Aluminum Equivalent Approximation in Space Radiation Shielding

The origin of the aluminum equivalent shield approximation in space radiation analysis can be traced back to its roots in the early years of the NASA space programs (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo) wherein the primary radiobiological concern was the intense sources of ionizing radiation causing short term effects which was thought to jeopardize the safety of the crew and hence the mission. Herein, it is shown that the aluminum equivalent shield approximation, although reasonably well suited for that time period and to the application for which it was developed, is of questionable usefulness to the radiobiological concerns of routine space operations of the 21 st century which will include long stays onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and perhaps the moon. This is especially true for a risk based protection system, as appears imminent for deep space exploration where the long-term effects of Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) exposure is of primary concern. The present analysis demonstrates that sufficiently large errors in the interior particle environment of a spacecraft result from the use of the aluminum equivalent approximation, and such approximations should be avoided in future astronaut risk estimates. In this study, the aluminum equivalent approximation is evaluated as a means for estimating the particle environment within a spacecraft structure induced by the GCR radiation field. For comparison, the two extremes of the GCR environment, the 1977 solar minimum and the 2001 solar maximum, are considered. These environments are coupled to the Langley Research Center (LaRC) deterministic ionized particle transport code High charge (Z) and Energy TRaNsport (HZETRN), which propagates the GCR spectra for elements with charges (Z) in the range I <= Z <= 28 (H -- Ni) and secondary neutrons through selected target materials. The coupling of the GCR extremes to HZETRN allows for the examination of the induced environment within the interior' of an idealized spacecraft as approximated by a spherical shell shield, and the effects of the aluminum equivalent approximation for a good polymeric shield material such as genetic polyethylene (PE). The shield thickness is represented by a 25 g/cm spherical shell. Although one could imagine the progression to greater thickness, the current range will be sufficient to evaluate the qualitative usefulness of the aluminum equivalent approximation. Upon establishing the inaccuracies of the aluminum equivalent approximation through numerical simulations of the GCR radiation field attenuation for PE and aluminum equivalent PE spherical shells, we Anther present results for a limited set of commercially available, hydrogen rich, multifunctional polymeric constituents to assess the effect of the aluminum equivalent approximation on their radiation attenuation response as compared to the generic PE.

Badavi, Francis F.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The MECA Payload as a Dust Analysis Laboratory on the MSP 2001 Lander

In a companion abstract, the "Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment" (MECA) payload for Mars Surveyor Program 2001 (MSP 2001) is described in terms of its capabilities for addressing exobiology on Mars. Here we describe how the same payload elements perform in terms of gathering data about surface dust on the planet. An understanding of the origin and properties of dust is important to both human exploration and planetary geology. The MECA instrument is specifically designed for soil/dust investigations: it is a multifunctional laboratory equipped to assess particulate properties with wet chemistry, camera imagery, optical microscopy (potentially with LTV fluorescence capability), atomic force microscopy (AFM; potentially with mineral-discrimination capabilities), electrometry, active & passive external materials-test panels, mineral hardness testing, and electrostatic & magnetic materials testing. Additionally, evaluation of soil chemical and physical properties as a function of depth down to about 50 cm will be facilitated by the Lander/MECA robot arm on which the camera (RAC) and electrometer are mounted. Types of data being sought for the dust include: (1) general textural and grain-size characterization of the soil as a whole --for example, is the soil essentially dust with other components or is it a clast-supported material in which dust resides only in the clast interstices, (2) size frequency distribution for dust particles in the range 0.01 to 10.00 microns, (3) particle-shape distribution of the soil components and of the fine dust fraction in particular, (4) soil fabric such as grain clustering into clods, aggregates, and cemented/indurated grain amalgamations, as well as related porosity, cohesiveness, and other mechanical soil properties, (5) cohesive relationship that dust has to certain types of rocks and minerals as a clue to which soil materials may be prime hosts for dust "piggybacking", (6) particle, aggregate, and bulk soil electrostatic properties, (7) particle hardness, (8) particle magnetic properties, (9) bulk dust geochemistry (solubility, reactivity, ionic and mineral species). All of these quantities are needed in order for the human exploration program to make assessments of hazards on Mars, and to better enable the production on earth, of soil/dust simulants that can act as realistic test materials in terms of those properties that render dust a contaminant.Such properties include the small grain size that enables penetration of space-suit joints, mechanical interfaces and bearings, seals, etc., and presents difficulty for filtration systems. Size also plays a critical role in the potential for lung disease in long-term habitats. The properties of grain shape and hardness are important parameters in determining the abrasiveness of dust as it enters mechanical systems, or bombards helmet visors and habitat windows in dust-laden winds. Adhesive electrostatic and magnetic properties of dust will be prime causes of contamination of space suits and equipment. Contamination causes mechanical malfunction, tracking of dirt into habitats, "piggybacking" of toxins on dust into habitats, changes in albedo and efficiency of solar arrays and heat exchangers, and changes in electrical conductivity of suit surfaces and other materials that may have specific safety requirements regarding electrical conductivity. Other potentially hazardous properties of dust include the possibility of high solubility of some component grains (rendering them reactive), and toxicity of some materials --grains of superoxidants and heavy metals (there is always the slim, but not inconceivable possibility of biogenic components such as spores). Because Mars has no active surface aqueous regime, volcanic emissions, meteoritic debris, weathering products, and photochemical products of Mars have nowhere to go except reside in the surface; there are few mechanical or chemical (buffering) processes to remove the accumulation of eons. From a planetology perspective, there are many enigmatic issues relating to dust and the aeolian regime in general. MECA will be able to address many questions in this area. For example, if MECA determines a particular particle size distribution (size and sorting values), it will be possible to make inferences about the origin of the dust - - is it all aeolian, or a more primitive residue of weathering, volcanic emissions, and meteoritic gardening? Trenching with the Lander/MECA robot arm will enable local stratigraphy to be determined in terms of depositional rates, amounts and cyclicity in dust storms and/or local aeolian transport. Grain shape will betray the origin of the dust fragments as being the product of recent or ancient weathering, or the comminution products of aeolian transport --the dust-silt ratio might be a measure of aeolian comminution energy. Additional information is contained in the original.

Marshall, J.↗
NASA NTRS2006

NASA Tech Briefs, September 2006

Topics covered include: Improving Thermomechanical Properties of SiC/SiC Composites; Aerogel/Particle Composites for Thermoelectric Devices; Patches for Repairing Ceramics and Ceramic- Matrix Composites; Lower-Conductivity Ceramic Materials for Thermal-Barrier Coatings; An Alternative for Emergency Preemption of Traffic Lights; Vehicle Transponder for Preemption of Traffic Lights; Automated Announcements of Approaching Emergency Vehicles; Intersection Monitor for Traffic-Light-Preemption System; Full-Duplex Digital Communication on a Single Laser Beam; Stabilizing Microwave Frequency of a Photonic Oscillator; Microwave Oscillators Based on Nonlinear WGM Resonators; Pointing Reference Scheme for Free-Space Optical Communications Systems; High-Level Performance Modeling of SAR Systems; Spectral Analysis Tool 6.2 for Windows; Multi-Platform Avionics Simulator; Silicon-Based Optical Modulator with Ferroelectric Layer; Multiplexing Transducers Based on Tunnel-Diode Oscillators; Scheduling with Automated Resolution of Conflicts; Symbolic Constraint Maintenance Grid; Discerning Trends in Performance Across Multiple Events; Magnetic Field Solver; Computing for Aiming a Spaceborne Bistatic- Radar Transmitter; 4-Vinyl-1,3-Dioxolane-2-One as an Additive for Li-Ion Cells; Probabilistic Prediction of Lifetimes of Ceramic Parts; STRANAL-PMC Version 2.0; Micromechanics and Piezo Enhancements of HyperSizer; Single-Phase Rare-Earth Oxide/Aluminum Oxide Glasses; Tilt/Tip/Piston Manipulator with Base-Mounted Actuators; Measurement of Model Noise in a Hard-Wall Wind Tunnel; Loci-STREAM Version 0.9; The Synergistic Engineering Environment; Reconfigurable Software for Controlling Formation Flying; More About the Tetrahedral Unstructured Software System; Computing Flows Using Chimera and Unstructured Grids; Avoiding Obstructions in Aiming a High-Gain Antenna; Analyzing Aeroelastic Stability of a Tilt-Rotor Aircraft; Tracking Positions and Attitudes of Mars Rovers; Stochastic Evolutionary Algorithms for Planning Robot Paths; Compressible Flow Toolbox; Rapid Aeroelastic Analysis of Blade Flutter in Turbomachines; General Flow-Solver Code for Turbomachinery Applications; Code for Multiblock CFD and Heat-Transfer Computations; Rotating-Pump Design Code; Covering a Crucible with Metal Containing Channels; Repairing Fractured Bones by Use of Bioabsorbable Composites; Kalman Filter for Calibrating a Telescope Focal Plane; Electronic Absolute Cartesian Autocollimator; Fiber-Optic Gratings for Lidar Measurements of Water Vapor; Simulating Responses of Gravitational-Wave Instrumentation; SOFTC: A Software Correlator for VLBI; Progress in Computational Simulation of Earthquakes; Database of Properties of Meteors; Computing Spacecraft Solar-Cell Damage by Charged Particles; Thermal Model of a Current-Carrying Wire in a Vacuum; Program for Analyzing Flows in a Complex Network; Program Predicts Performance of Optical Parametric Oscillators; Processing TES Level-1B Data; Automated Camera Calibration; Tracking the Martian CO2 Polar Ice Caps in Infrared Images; Processing TES Level-2 Data; SmaggIce Version 1.8; Solving the Swath Segment Selection Problem; The Spatial Standard Observer; Less-Complex Method of Classifying MPSK; Improvement in Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation of Data; Using Heaps in Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation of Data; Tool for Statistical Analysis and Display of Landing Sites; Automated Assignment of Proposals to Reviewers; Array-Pattern-Match Compiler for Opportunistic Data Analysis; Pre-Processor for Compression of Multispectral Image Data; Compressing Image Data While Limiting the Effects of Data Losses; Flight Operations Analysis Tool; Improvement in Visual Target Tracking for a Mobile Robot; Software for Simulating Air Traffic; Automated Vectorization of Decision-Based Algorithms; Grayscale Optical Correlator Workbench; "One-Stop Shopping" for Ocean Remote-Sensing and Model Data; State Analysis Database Tool; Generating CAHV and CAHVOmages with Shadows in ROAMS; Improving UDP/IP Transmission Without Increasing Congestion; FORTRAN Versions of Reformulated HFGMC Codes; Program for Editing Spacecraft Command Sequences; Flight-Tested Prototype of BEAM Software; Mission Scenario Development Workbench; Marsviewer; Tool for Analysis and Reduction of Scientific Data; ASPEN Version 3.0; Secure Display of Space-Exploration Images; Digital Front End for Wide-Band VLBI Science Receiver; Multifunctional Tanks for Spacecraft; Lightweight, Segmented, Mostly Silicon Telescope Mirror; Assistant for Analyzing Tropical-Rain-Mapping Radar Data; and Anion-Intercalating Cathodes for High-Energy- Density Cells.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2001

Laser Materials Processing for NASA's Aerospace Structural Materials

Lasers are useful for performing operations such as joining, machining, built-up freeform fabrication, and surface treatment. Due to the multifunctional nature of a single tool and the variety of materials that can be processed, these attributes are attractive in order to support long-term missions in space. However, current laser technology also has drawbacks for space-based applications. Specifically, size, power efficiency, lack of robustness, and problems processing highly reflective materials are all concerns. With the advent of recent breakthroughs in solidstate laser (e.g., diode-pumped lasers) and fiber optic technologies, the potential to perform multiple processing techniques in space has increased significantly. A review of the historical development of lasers from their infancy to the present will be used to show how these issues may be addressed. The review will also indicate where further development is necessary to realize a laser-based materials processing capability in space. The broad utility of laser beams in synthesizing various classes of engineering materials will be illustrated using state-of-the art processing maps for select lightweight alloys typically found on spacecraft. Both short- and long-term space missions will benefit from the development of a universal laser-based tool with low power consumption, improved process flexibility, compactness (e.g., miniaturization), robustness, and automation for maximum utility with a minimum of human interaction. The potential advantages of using lasers with suitable wavelength and beam properties for future space missions to the moon, Mars and beyond will be discussed. The laser processing experiments in the present report were performed using a diode pumped, pulsed/continuous wave Nd:YAG laser (50 W max average laser power), with a 1064 nm wavelength. The processed materials included Ti-6AI-4V, Al-2219 and Al-2090. For Phase I of this project, the laser process conditions were varied and optimized to see the effects on melt-quenching, cladding/alloying (using the pre-placed powder technique), and cutting. Key parameters such laser power, pulse repetition frequency, process speed, and shield gas flow and the observed process characteristics such as plasma formation during laser/material interaction, have been reported for all experimental runs. Preliminary materials characterization of select samples was carried out using various microscopy, diffraction, spectroscopy and microhardness test methods, and reported. Select nitridation results of Ti-6AI-4V using nitrogen assist gas indicated the successful formation of hard titanium nitrides with much higher hardness (2180 kg/sq mm). A cost-effective and simple powder delivery system has been successfully fabricated for the further experimentation in Phase H.

Nagarathnam, Karthik↗